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Monday, November 11, 2013

Reasons We Homeschool: F is for Flexibility

There are a lot of reasons we chose to homeschool, and a lot of reasons why we continue to do so. This is part one of a series that will take place as we “Blog through the Alphabet”.

The Flexibility in Homeschooling:

* The Freedom to Make Changes – That curriculum you thought was going to be an amazing fit not working for you? Change it! I can’t even count the number of times I have made changes to how we are doing things from the time we started until currently, and many of times those changes occur during the school year. One of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom and flexibility to make changes until you find what works best for you and your children.

* The Freedom of Scheduling – As well as finding the curriculum that works best, finding a schedule that works best can take time as well. Additionally you can choose to follow a typical school schedule, school year round, few hours a day, few days a week….you name it, you decide it. (with limitations from states that may require a certain number of documented school hours per year). We school from 9-1ish 3 days a week, one day we have co-op or PE and the 5th day we have a field trip. We keep this schedule year round, taking more time if needed. This can vary slightly from week to week, but it is what work for us.

* The Freedom to Take Time Off – As homeschoolers you can take time off when needed. We have been carrying a light load so far this school year, then took some time off after I had the baby and my mom was here. I’ve also decided to start the official school year in January running it year round from that point…therefore we will continue to have a light load, covering the holidays until then when we start back up. We will be moving in March, so will take some time off then as well. Since we school year round, I don’t feel like we are missing out on anything. Even with light loads, there is still a lot of learning that goes on.

*The Freedom to Learn on the Go – Field Trips, Road Trips, you name it….you can learn as you go!

*The Freedom to Pick What you Study – you can go off your children’s interest, a recent field trip, a planned curriculum, you name it…you can learn about it…when and how you want to!

Flexibility is one of the many reasons we homeschool, I love that we are able to explore the world around us at our own leisure, take time off when family comes to visit or my husband is off of work, or a baby is born. I love that I can adapt and adjust our curriculum to meet my children’s specific learning needs and interests. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!